Reveal

Keith Obidake’s African Metropole: Sonic City Lagos reveals the sounds of Lagos, Nigeria, a

bustling city full of commerce and soul. We often overlook the ambient sound of our own cities.

Obidake reveals that there is beauty in the ambient sound of a city, and even of the unheard. He also records the acoustics of some of the cities architecture with conversations from people on

the street. Traffic noises, and tree rustles all echo in this cities symphony. With what would seem

like noise in everyday life, Obidake attempts to compose this hustle and bustle into an abstract

and ambient soundtrack, that was put in an instillation for others to hear.

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There is also commentary on the actual objects themselves being recorded.The echo’s and reverb

of the muddled conversations in the soundtrack could reveal some clues on the architecture

Obidake recorded in. It may even lead you to envision the space of the project. This, I feel gives

these spaces, a sense of otherworldliness. Even though you cannot physically see the spaces, the

soundtrack evokes a certain image or emotion, one that normally would not be there if you were

visiting these places (commercial/industrial centers) in passing. This hyper-visualization adds to

the story of the soundtrack . This principle applies with the screeching of tires, and honks heard

in the background. These sounds coupled with the ambient hum help visualize a blur of objects

or places that would signify a city to the listener. The initial functions of these spaces and objects

no longer matter, rather the idea of the signifiers of these places matter more in this instance.

Reflect

When I think of this principle, I thought of Nari Wards “We the people”. Hanging on the wall are

dozens of dyed shoelaces that outline the calligraphic script depicting a well know phrase “We

The People”. I felt that using this medium allows for a space for the viewer to contemplate on the

meaning of this phrase, what it means to them, and really what the constitution means to them as

a citizen in America. Quite literally the shoelaces could signify the consumption of shoes in

America, mass production of consumer objects and the globalization of labor. On the other had

the seemingly dripping, almost graffiti like text could be a slight towards the phrase itself and the

spirit of the law and constitution for those who are un happy in America as far as human rights.

The piece forces the viewer to reflect on the phrase and its relationship to you and the country

overall.